Method oe propelling vessels by the buoyancy of air in wateb acting



Vair vault R., Fig. l.

Vlilamber it is conducted `by Vone or more SYLVESTEB lV. HALL, OF TROY,NEV YORK.

. METHOD OF PROPELLING VESSELS BY THE BUOYANCY OF AIR IN WATER ACTINGAGAINST INCLINED SURFACES.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 3,332, dated November 6, 1843.

To .all whom t may .concern Be it known that l, SYLvEs'rER WV. HALL7 ofthe cityot Troy, in the county ot Rensselaerv and State of New York,have invented a new, use-ful, and Improved Mode of PropellingVessels;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had `to the annexed drawings,making part of this specification. a Y The nature of my inventionconsists 1n making use of the buoyant force of atmospheric airdischarged in vchannels or grooves under lthe vessel to propel it bycausing the air toact iny its asce-nt against an inclined .surface ofthe vessel, by which the buoyant force ot the air is transmittedaccording to theknown laws which govern the act-ion of forces ot' thisnature on 4inclined surfaces, and tends to ,give motion to the vessel ina direction contrary to Vthat in which the surface rises and the airtends to escape.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed lto describe the principles ot its construction and operation.

l Figure No. l, of the annexed drawings is a side view or elevation of avessel or boat. Fig. No. 2, is the body plan. Fig. No. 3, is avhorizontal plan. Fig. No. 4, is a view astern. Fig. No. v5, is a crosssection ot' the boat through K. Fig. No. G, is a cross section of dittothrough L M. Fig. No. 7, is a cross section-ot ditto through N O.

. Rin Fig. No. l vvis an air vault or chainber inwhich the air isreceived trom the blowing engines and from which it issues to Y theunder side of the boat.

. removed.

The air may be furnishedbyblowing engilles of the usual form adapted tothe purpose,.or,by bellows orin any manner most convenient. Theair thusfurnished may be conducted by the use of pipes of wrought or .east ironor other suitable material ot sufficient size and strength ior thequantity of air used and the kdegree ot pressure they willbe required tosustain into the From this vault or pipes or passages through the bottomto the under and outer sides ofthe boat into the water as seen in Figs.9 and l0. Here it is received into one ormore channels or grooves asseen in cross section in Figs. 6 and 7 and inclining upward toward thestern as seen in longitudinal section Fig. l. The air thus dischargedbeing specifically lighter than water has a buoyant force or upwardtendency against thel inclined surface (a, Zi) which according to theknown laws which govern the transmission `of forces onl inclinedsurfaces tends to give a progressive motion to the boat, and by the sameeffect tends to give a retrograde motion (toward the stern) to the waterwithin the channels which vopposes its escape in that direction. Thesurface of the air o-r the end of the bubble thus opposed to the waterIdenominate the resisting surface in his description.

As the power,- with which a given quantity of air acting upward againstvthe surtace a L tends to propel the boat is varied (accordingto theabove mentioned laws of the transmission of forces on inclined surfaces)by the greaterror less inclination of this surface, by which inclinationI mean that .which would be generally expressed by the angle Z) a c,Fig. l, and as thel velocity with which the said power would tend topropel the boat would vary in an inverse ratio with that power. It isevident `that the said inclination of the surface should be determinedfor any boat, with reference to the propelling torce, which on that boatwould be required, and this will depend upon the size and figure oftheboat, her dratt ot water, theresistance .which would oppose her motionthrough the water, the speed for which she is intended, the power ot'her engine and whatever other conditions are required in theconstruction of the vessels. i l

It would appear generally that in a vessel so constructed as to `meetcomparatively little resistance to motion and intended for highvelocities the said inclination oit surface should be less than in avessel ot an opposite character. In general for boats oit ordinaryconstruction an inclination should be given to the surface a b- (seeFig. l) .of from l vertical in t horizontal to l vertical in Ghorizontal feet. vIn other words the length of the surface measured Ahorizontally 1so l lio , influence on the figure which the air wouldassume in the channels, which would diminish or increase the resistingsurface opposed by the air to a retrograde motion and consequentlyinfiuence the efficiency of the air in propelling the boat. Forinstance: lf the angle b a c, Fig. 1, be increased the length of thebubble would be diminished and its depth increased, thereby increasingthe resisting surface and diminishing the loss of power in the slip orretrograde motion of the air. If the said angle be diminished thecorresponding opposite effects would be produced.

As a means of increasing the effective resisting surface in the samequantity of air, in this respect rendering the same more effectual inpropelling the vessel, which will be found most practical and expedienton the larger class of boats. The escape of the air should be soregulated as tobe emitted in distinct quantities or blasts instead ofcontinuously. The magnitude and frequency of these emissions orblastswill of course depend upon the character of the boat and theamount of air furnished by the blowing apparatus. As a general rule theyshould be as frequent as may be and act distinctly and independently ofeach other. As a means of thus effecting and regulating the escape ofthe air in distinct masses, puffs or blasts, the inclined surface e /LFig. 1, against which the air is intended to act, may be dividedintoseveral channels or grooves as seen in cross section Figs. G and 7.The entrance from the air vault R, Fig. 1, to each of these saidchannels may be through and by means of a separate and distinctcompartment as seen in horizontal plan Fig. 13, where a o y) g are thesaid compartments each of which connects by an open passage to theaforesaid channels or move under the vessel represented in Fig. 8 by n 079 g.

To enable the reader more easily to trace the passage of the air it isrepresented in different passages by different colors.

S in Fig-8 is a plate or slide of cast iron or other suitable materialsupported at its ends, by cross bars as seen in the sections Figs. 11and 12, and in the middle by a guide rod or bar m w Fig. 13 extendingfrom one side of the air vault to the other at angles to its sides. Agroove is made in the under side of the slide S to t upon the said guiderod and secure a regular motion. When the weight of the slide may beinsufficient to keep it in its place it may be doneby cross bars similarto those which support it. The requisite motion may be given to theslide by connecting the rod (t) With the engine or motive power, by anyof the known forms so as to alternately thrust the slide forward closingthe passages or compartments n y) and opening 0 Q and draw it backclosing o g and opening a 7J.

For the purpose of turning the boat, changing its course, or moving itsidewise, more eifectually than can be done by the use of the rudder,air may be discharged at one or more points under the fore or after partor under the fore and after part of the vessel so as, by its buoyantforce acting upward against the inclined surface or convex sides of thevessel tomove it in a horizontal direction contrary to that in which theair escapes. This may be done by conveying the air from the lateralcompartments as shown in the ends of the air vault by a passage into thelateral pipes as shown in Fig. 8, I Q lV X. By the said pipes shown alsoP, Q, W, X, Fig. 3, it is conveyed to the points of discharge shown at YZ Fig. No. 1.

Here the air is discharged through one or more tubes pipes or orificesof the requisite strength and dimensions for the quantity and density ofthe air used, into the water and acts as before described to move theboat. The emission of the air into these pipes is regulated by slidevalves situated in the air vault, so as to close or open either of thepassages leading from the said lat-eral compartments into the lateralpipes P Q XV X as represented in Figs. 8, 11 and 12. The said slides maybe moved by means of hand or other power attached to the rods S, V,passing through the sides of the air vault or by a lever, crank or otherconvenient instrument attached to said rods.

As a means, of directing the air into the compartments, communicatingwith the main channels under the boat or those lateral compartmentscommunicating with the lateral pipes P Q W X. The slides 2 and 3 Fig. 8of cast iron or other suitable material, as seen in FigsS, 11 and 12 aremadeA to move backward and forward by the rods 4 5 so as to close oropen the main or lateral channels as well. These slides pass under theslide S and the cross bars which support it. They rest upon vbars or inguides secured to the sides of the air vault and work sufficiently closeon their bearings as to effectually exclude the passage of the air.

rlhe slide rods all of which pass through an orifice in the sides of theair vault should be made to fit so closely in vthe same by means ofstuffing boxes and packing or otherwise as may be necessary to preventthe escape of the air. These Vrods may be of I iron steel or othersuitable material and of sufficient size to resist the strain to whichthey will be subjected.

In order to secure the air vault against Water rising into it throughthe passages in case of a leakage of air from the same and in case ofrepairing or inspecting the machinery, slides may be constructed of castiron or other suitable material at seen in cross section m r Figs. 9 and10 snugly fitted to grooves in which they work so as to effectuallyprevent the rise of water through any of the channels.

In vessels where it may not be an object to keep all the machinery belowthe surface of the water, the rising of the water in the pipes andpassages may be effectually prevented by locating the air vault on deckor above the water line. `When this may not be conveniently done the airmay be conveyed from the air vault or the blowing en gine or whatevermay be employed to furnish it, in pipes, upward sufficiently above thewater line as to be secure against the highest rise of the water andthence pro 'ceeding in the most convenientI course to a point whencethey incline downward to the point of discharge as seen in Fig. 14.

The air vault, connecting pipes, &c., used for the confinement andconveyance of the air may be constructed of cast or wrought iron, woodor such other material as may be proper fo-r the purpose.l 4Their sizeand strength must be determined by the quantity of air used and thedegree to which it is condensed.

The air vault should be firmly secured to its place by wroughtironbolt-s passing through the timbers of the vessel or by any otherconvenient method.

The main channels under the boat may be formed by recesses in the bodyof the vessel which may be divided by flanges or projecting divisions ofwrought iron wood or other suitable material as seen in Figs. 6 and 7 orthey may be formed by securing the flanges to any boat the form of whichmay admit of the proper upward inclination of surface.

For the purpose of sharpening the stern of the boat the channels mayconverge as they approach the stern or some of them may terminate beforereaching the stern as may be found most convenient and proper for theboat to which they are applied.

The depth of the flanges and channels used will vary not only with thequantity of air used but with the velocity with which it 'moves Forinstance the passages through which the air is discharged through thebot tom of the vessel may be so shaped as to direct the air toward thest-ern. The velocity of the air from these passages will increase withthe density of theair or the degree to which it is condensed the depthof the flanges therefore at this point may ber less in the sameproportion and the inclination of the surface may also be reduced tonear or quite a level according to the expansion of the condensed air.

For the purpose of letting olf the air not required in moving thevessel, one or more escape valves may be constructed in the pipes orpassages leading to the air vault or in the air vault itself so thatwith the engine in motion the air may be wasted vand produce no effecton the boat.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. The application of the buoyant force of air immersed in water to thelower surface, or bot-tom, of the boat inclined upward as hereindescribed, in combination with such a channel, channels, grooves, orform of contrivance, as may admit t-he water to flow freely from the bowto supply the place of the air as it escapes toward the stern andprevent its rising up at the sides of the vessel. 'lhe peculiar featureof t-he improvement herein claimed is that the air passes in channels orspaces open downward and from the bow instead of in trunks or recessesclosed below, which would prevent the water rising upward into thechannels as the air escapes, as has been before known.

2. For the purpose of causing the air to issue in distinct jets orblasts, and direct-ing it into a channel, or into different channels, Iclaim the use of the slide valves and compartments herein described orother analogous means, in combination with the channels or grooves on asurface inclined upward as herein described.

3. For the purpose of moving sidewise and turning the boat I claim theemployment of air conveyed through suitable tubes or passages from theblowing or other machinery by which it is furnished to the points ofdischarge under the fore or after part or under the fore and after partof the boat so as to operate on the inclined surface on the sides of theboat, as herein described.

SYLVESTER W. HALL.

`Vitnesses D. R. Monsnnn, Trios. P. J oNEs.

